Photovoltaic system - combination for self-consumption
On the one hand, electricity prices have risen sharply and, on the other, PVA is supported by subsidies. By adopting the Climate and Innovation Act (CIA), the electorate has also confirmed that energy dependency on foreign countries should be reduced and climate protection strengthened.
Foundation of ZEV and contractual security
The distribution system operator (DSO) must be notified at least three months in advance of the joint use of solar power and thus the establishment of a ZEV. This step should be preceded by a thorough assessment of the potential for the property concerned.
In a condominium owners' association, the establishment of a ZEV is ideally recorded in the condominium owners' regulations before the units are sold by the building owner. If the units are sold, the buyers are bound by the regulations and therefore automatically become ZEV participants.
In the case of rental properties in which the landlord wishes to charge the tenants for solar power as ancillary costs, it is recommended that the conditions and participation in the ZEV be stipulated in the rental agreement. If a ZEV is established by the landlord in an existing building, the consent of all tenants to participate in self-consumption must be obtained and a corresponding addendum to the rental agreement must be drawn up. If the landlord wishes to pass on the increase in value resulting from the installation of the PVA to the tenant by increasing the net rent, the rent increase must be notified using the official form.
Electricity meter and billing
Smart meters are installed for the correct billing of solar power and electricity from the electricity company per unit. The end user pays the actual electricity price for the electricity purchased from the electricity company and a price set by the ZEV representative for the solar power.
In the case of a condominium owners' association, it should be noted that the credit from the redelivery of electricity to the grid is not deducted from the electricity purchased from the electricity company, but that the credit is distributed in the same proportion as the system was financed, usually according to value quotas. Instead of actual payment, it is also advisable to feed the credit into a joint renewal fund of the condominium owners' association.
Determining the solar electricity price
A price does not necessarily have to be set for the solar power produced. Particularly in the case of a condominium owners' association in which the owners of the PVA and the ZEV participants are identical, such a procedure can make sense in order to minimize the billing effort. It should be noted that the billing of solar power and electricity from the power plant per unit by an external service provider is associated with relatively high annual costs.
However, especially in the case of rented units, the landlord and co-owner of the PVA would have to be interested in selling the solar power to the end user and thus setting a price for the solar power. Art. 16 EnV applies to the determination of the solar electricity price for rented units, which has provided for the following provisions since January 1, 2023:
The ZEV participant may be charged a maximum flat rate of 80 percent of the standard electricity product of the external electricity company. This 80 percent also includes expenses for internal metering, data provision, administration and billing. As an alternative to the flat-rate option, the landowner can invoice the tenant for his actual costs. However, these may not exceed the costs of the external standard product. If the internal effective costs are lower than the external standard product, half of the savings can be additionally charged to the tenants.
Sources:
Energy Switzerland, Guide to self-consumption, Version 3.0, May 2023
ewz, Solar power for self-consumption, Self-consumption consortia as the key to economical photovoltaic systems
